Turner County herald. (Hurley, Dakota [S.D.]) 1883-19??, 1887-10-27
The Hero of Southern Illinois.
BY ELI PERKINS.

Captain Mason used to be drinker
and a fighter himself like the other
Hickory Bayou boys" said Colonel
Baker, the Chairman of the Cairo GILL
Lecture Association. "Hes Joined the
church now, but he always takes care
OF every drunken man he sees. See,
he's putting Whisky Bill into his wagon
now."
"But why does he interest himself
so for Whisky Bill ?" asked.
"Well, as was saying. the Captain
used to be drinker and a fighter him
self. He was sentenced to be shot
once in the army for fighting. He
struck an officer, got on q drunken
frolic, and"
"How did the Captain escape?" I
asked.
"Well," said the Colonel, Mason,
with dozen fellows from the Hickory
Bayou, enlisted in my regiment. He
was q splendid soldier-always ready
for battle-one of the best men in the
regiment, but he would have his sprees.
One day, about three weeks before the
battle of Mission Ridge, Mason brought
canteen of whisky into camp, and,
always generous, went to giving it to
the boys. This was against orders; so
l ordered my Major to arrest him and
put MIN in the guardhouse. Mason
found out that the Major was after him
with q squad of men, and, full of dev-
iltry, he commenced lodging around
behind the tents to keep from being
arrested. But pretty quick, in trying
to keep away from the men, he ran
square against the Major"
"Here, you rascal!' said the Major,
selling him by the coat collar, without
giving him chance to explain. aNow.
you walk to the guard-house. I'll fix
you, you scoundrel!"
eBut, in the excitement of the mo-
ment, Mason knocked the Major fiat,
and then he went and gave himself up. !"
"What was done about it?" 1 asked.
"Well, Mason was tried before q
court-martial for striking superior Of
ficer, sentenced to be shot, and the
sentence was sent to General JEFF G.
Davis to be approved. Then poor Ma
son was imprisoned on bread and
water, with ball and chain on each
foot"
@Did General Davis approve the
sentence?"
"Yes, he approved it."
"But how did Mason escape being
shot?"
"Well, the next day, before the ap-
proved sentence arrived, came the bat
tie of Mission Ridge, and our regi-
ment was ordered forward. Mason, of
course, was in the rear, under guard,
with ball chained to his ankles. We
heard the Confederate cannon in front
all the forenoon. We knew there WAS
a big battle on, and we needed all our
men. So / rode over to the guard
house and told Mason that we would
have to leave him behind alone with
his ball and chain on till the battle was
over.
"'Let me go with the boys, Colonelp
pleaded Mason. I don't want to see
the boys in a fight without me-
But you might escape, Mason. You
know there is sentence hanging over
you.'
"'By heavens, Colonel! you amt
going to let the boys 60 into this fight
without mel" And the tears came to
his eyes.
"'Got to, Mason I said. 7 can't
trust you.'
"Then," continued the narrator, the
order came from General Davis for our
regiment to move up and charge Con-
federate redoubt, and the boys dashed
forward. It was an awful fight. Twice
they enfiladed us, and the Confederate
bullets moved down our men by doz-
ems, while the Confederate flag still
waved on the redoubt.
"tColonel, you must capture that re-
doubtp was the order that came from
General Davis.
"Our men were now badly tired out,
and she dead and wounded lay all
aro1nd us; but ! got our men together,
and made the charge. Gods what o
charge! My horse was killed under
me. The men went forward in q
shower of bullets. L thought they
were going straight for that flag; then
all at once they wayered. The bullets
flew like rain, and the advance men
were all shot down. There was no one
to lead, and / thought all was lost.
Just then saw man rushing up from
the rear. He grabbed dead soldiers
repeating-riAe, pushed right through
the dead and dying. reached the head,
and pushed up the redoubt. The boys
saw him. took courage and followed.
In moment / saw the brave fellow
swing his rifle around him on the top
of the redoubt, grasp the flagstaff and
break it of, while the boys struggled
up the side and emptied their guns into
the retreating rebels.
@The day was oursl AS came upI
eho,,kad